From having a fun time bowling to attending a black tie event, we have something for everyone! 

These FUN-Raisers help keep our mentoring programs running.  By participating in an event, you will be making a real difference in the life of a child.   

Special thanks to our friends who have come up with unique ideas to raise money to help Big Brothers Big Sisters serve at-risk children in the Tampa Bay area:

We made a 'Racket' for kids at our first Big Brothers Big Sisters Tennis Tournament this summer! More than 30 teams came out for the fun--no rain, but plenty of heat! Our Littles also learned the finer points of the game thanks to the pros who hosted a tennis clinic. Thanks to new sponsors and friends who made it a success: Beef O' Brady's Sweetbay Supermarkets, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Bern's Steakhouse, FlexTraining, Florida Bank, Coke, Lexus of Tampa Bay, Doormet's Gourmet Pizza and Hillsborough Community College.

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Employees at JP Morgan Chase threw their own Bowl For Kids' Sake Party to support our agency! They picked a Sunday afternoon to bowl with their co-workers and challenged each other to bring in the most donations. It paid off!  Collectively, teams raised more than $7,000! And they're still working toward their goal of $10,000!

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Roger West Creative and Code raised nearly $3,400 for BBBS at the Tampa Bay Scramble Golf Tournament! Special thanks to Mike Westafer and Shanna Kurpe for organizing a great event.

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The Hillsborough County Young Lawyers Division hosted its inaugural Cornhole for a Cause bag toss tournament benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters on April 10 at the St. Pete Times Forum. The event was co-sponsored by the Lightning Foundation and Custom Corn Toss. More than 40 teams competed for cash prizes and Lightning swag, not to mention a great cause! The event raised more than $4,000 which will help us match more chilidren with a caring adult mentor. Special thanks to BBBS Board member RJ Haughey, Heather Schwartz, Laura Ward and Jacqueline Simms-Petredis from the YLD and Kelvin Woods and Heidi Hamlin from the Lightning for their support! 

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A  BIG green and gold THANK YOU to students at the University of South Florida who participated in the month long Greek events on campus. Members of various sororities and fraternities hosted several fundraisers in April and overall, the students raised more than $5,000! Staff member and recent USF graduate Natalie Towey and others were in instrumental in creating this new partnership with Greek life. We also thank the dozens of  USF Bigs, many who volunteer in our site-based program.

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The Pasco County Community Sale and fundraiser was a success! This was the first year for the event, which featured everything you could think of for sale. Many of our Bigs and Littles helped work the event while others donated cookies and other items for the bake sale. Even the sweltering Florida heat didn't keep people from coming out--organizers raised more than $1,500! Look for the Pasco County Community Sale again next year---hopefully on a cooler day! Thank you to Generations Church for hosting the event!

Special thanks to all of the companies who got on board with our Bowl For Kids' Sake campaign! From Florida Bank to UnitedHealthcare to Lockheed Martin..the list goes on in all three of the counties we serve! If your business would like to set up your own company Bowl For Kids' Sake, contact Amy Neff, 813.769.3636 or amy.neff@bbbs.org

CONGRATS TO OUR RAFFLE WINNERS!

Busch Garden tickets--Hugh Miller (who graciously donated them back to the agency!)

Tampa Bay Lightning Package--Neil Armstrong (Big Brother of the Year)

Massage Envy Gift Certificates--Susan Taylor, Jayne Butler

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We want to give super kudos to Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and Captain Hugh Miller for their efforts in this year's 8th Annual Chiefs' Challenge. It's the kick-off to our Bowl For Kids' Sake campaign. Local law enforcement agencies and affiliated departments  engage in a friendly compeition to see who can raise the most money--and who can have the highest bowling score. This year, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office walked away with the prized trophy!  But at the end of the day, the real winners are the chlidren who will have a chance to have a Big, thanks to the efforts of those who participate in the Chief's' Challenge. Over the last eight years,  this event has raised nearly $80,000--which means 80 more children are no longer waiting to be matched!

(Left) Hillsborough County Public Defender Julianne Holt and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor

(Right) Major Curtis Flowers (Hills. Co. Sheriff's Office) and Chief Jane Castor

Karen Evans, long-time BBBS supporter

The Hillsborough County Public Defender's Office also participated in the Chief's Challenge this year, thanks to the recruitment efforts of  Karen Evans. Karen has a personal connection to Big Brothers Big Sisters--her brother, who is now 50-years-old, had a Big Brother when he was growing up. Seeing that relationship up close inspired Karen to become an advocate and supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters more than 17 years ago! She was instrumental in getting News Channel 8 involved when she worked for the television station. And now that she's working for the Public Defender's Office, her committment hasn't waned a bit. Karen believes that mentoring can truly make a difference!

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BBBS Board Member Risa Josias came up with a unique idea to raise money during the Bowl For Kids' Sake campaign. Both Risa and her husband Brian volunteer as Bigs and also encourage  their respective companies to get involved by forming teams and by sponsoring our events. This year, Risa came up with the idea of selling pizza at her Raymond James office. The efforts paid off--hungry co-workers enjoyed a hot lunch and knew that with every bite they would be helping our agency. Risa and her co-workers were able to raise $500!

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Here's a different idea...Debbie Yoerg was recently named Honorary Mayor of the Wesley Chapel Chamber. During her 'campaign', she designated Big Brothers Big Sisters as her charity of choice. Debbie was able to share our story with others, and a portion of the proceeds from the fundraisers will go to our program.Thank you, Debbie! Check out Debbie here.

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 For the first time, organizers with the Festivals of Speed selected Big Brothers Big Sistes as the charity of choice for their 3-day extravaganza. The weekend kicked-off with a VIP reception and a 4-course dinner at Armani's. Guests enjoyed French wines and also had the chance to bid on unique sports and entertainment items in a silent auction. The event wrapped up with a one-of-kind show that featured luxury cars, boats and motorcycles. Our Littles even had the chance to sit in the driver's seat--to take a picture, of course! Thank you, Festivals of Speed, for including us in a wonderful event!